Squirrel Hill Site
Encyclopedia
The Squirrel Hill Site is an archaeological site
in northeastern Westmoreland County
, Pennsylvania
, United States
. Located in St. Clair Township west of the borough
of New Florence
, it was once occupied by a large Monongahela
village during the pre-contact
period.
The village site lies on a bluff above the Conemaugh River
northwest of Squirrel Hill, an imposing summit immediately southwest of New Florence, for which the site is named. The site has frequently been farmed since European settlement, and the disturbance resulting from plowing has brought up a large number of artifacts; consequently, locals have long been aware of the site's archaeological potential. A large area of permanently darkened soil suggests that the site was frequently the home of a dense population.
Archaeological investigation has determined that the Squirrel Hill Site is the location of one of the largest Monongahela villages in the valley of the Ohio River
. Like the similar Johnston Site to the northwest, it was likely composed of a group of circular houses around a central plaza
and encircled by a stockade
. Objects found at the site include flint tools, pieces of pottery, and a wide range of bone fragments. The presence of human burials is expected, as the Monongahela often buried their dead within their villages.
Aside from plowing for agricultural purposes, the site has only rarely been disturbed; a dirt road crosses the property, but it is believed that the range of artifacts below the plow line has seen little damage. Few other Johnston phase Monongahela villages have been so well preserved as the Squirrel Hill Site. Accordingly, it has been seen as a prime potential site for yielding information about the poorly-known late prehistoric Johnston phase.
In 1980, the Squirrel Hill Site was added to the National Register of Historic Places
because of its archaeological value. One acre of the site, including land on both sides of the small dirt road, was included in the area added to the Register.
Archaeological site
An archaeological site is a place in which evidence of past activity is preserved , and which has been, or may be, investigated using the discipline of archaeology and represents a part of the archaeological record.Beyond this, the definition and geographical extent of a 'site' can vary widely,...
in northeastern Westmoreland County
Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 369,993 people, 149,813 households, and 104,569 families residing in the county. The population density was 361 people per square mile . There were 161,058 housing units at an average density of 157 per square mile...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Located in St. Clair Township west of the borough
Borough (Pennsylvania)
In the U.S. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, a borough is a self-governing municipal entity that is usually smaller than a city. There are 958 boroughs in Pennsylvania. All municipalities in Pennsylvania are classified as either cities, boroughs, or townships...
of New Florence
New Florence, Pennsylvania
New Florence is a borough in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 784 at the 2000 census.-Geography:New Florence is located at ....
, it was once occupied by a large Monongahela
Monongahela tribe
The Monongahela culture were a Native American cultural manifestation of Late Woodland peoples in present-day western Pennsylvania, eastern Ohio and West Virginia from AD 1050 to 1635...
village during the pre-contact
Pre-Columbian era
The pre-Columbian era incorporates all period subdivisions in the history and prehistory of the Americas before the appearance of significant European influences on the American continents, spanning the time of the original settlement in the Upper Paleolithic period to European colonization during...
period.
The village site lies on a bluff above the Conemaugh River
Conemaugh River
The Conemaugh River is a long tributary of the Kiskiminetas River in Westmoreland, Indiana, and Cambria counties in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania.- Course :...
northwest of Squirrel Hill, an imposing summit immediately southwest of New Florence, for which the site is named. The site has frequently been farmed since European settlement, and the disturbance resulting from plowing has brought up a large number of artifacts; consequently, locals have long been aware of the site's archaeological potential. A large area of permanently darkened soil suggests that the site was frequently the home of a dense population.
Archaeological investigation has determined that the Squirrel Hill Site is the location of one of the largest Monongahela villages in the valley of the Ohio River
Ohio River
The Ohio River is the largest tributary, by volume, of the Mississippi River. At the confluence, the Ohio is even bigger than the Mississippi and, thus, is hydrologically the main stream of the whole river system, including the Allegheny River further upstream...
. Like the similar Johnston Site to the northwest, it was likely composed of a group of circular houses around a central plaza
Plaza
Plaza is a Spanish word related to "field" which describes an open urban public space, such as a city square. All through Spanish America, the plaza mayor of each center of administration held three closely related institutions: the cathedral, the cabildo or administrative center, which might be...
and encircled by a stockade
Stockade
A stockade is an enclosure of palisades and tall walls made of logs placed side by side vertically with the tops sharpened to provide security.-Stockade as a security fence:...
. Objects found at the site include flint tools, pieces of pottery, and a wide range of bone fragments. The presence of human burials is expected, as the Monongahela often buried their dead within their villages.
Aside from plowing for agricultural purposes, the site has only rarely been disturbed; a dirt road crosses the property, but it is believed that the range of artifacts below the plow line has seen little damage. Few other Johnston phase Monongahela villages have been so well preserved as the Squirrel Hill Site. Accordingly, it has been seen as a prime potential site for yielding information about the poorly-known late prehistoric Johnston phase.
In 1980, the Squirrel Hill Site was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
because of its archaeological value. One acre of the site, including land on both sides of the small dirt road, was included in the area added to the Register.
See also
- List of Native American archaeological sites on the National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania
Further reading
- Robson, John G. "A Comparison of Artifacts from the Indian Villages Quemahoning and Squirrel Hill". Pennsylvania Archaeologist 28 (1958): 3, 4.